In transtendon rotator cuff repairs using a conventional bone punch the surgeon drives the bone punch through the rotator cuff and into the bone. The bone punch may carry a visual marking which is viewed by the surgeon using a camera to determine when the punch has been driven to the desired depth. As the bone punch is driven through the rotator cuff and into the bone, the frictional forces between the bone punch and the rotator cuff cause the bone punch to carry the rotator cuff against the bone. The result is that the rotator cuff often obstructs the view of the camera to the bone punch.
It has been found that a helical groove on the body of a soft tissue displacer tool, including a bone punch having a visual marking, can be used to raise the rotator cuff away from the bone, restoring the line of sight between the camera to the bone punch.